


You Drift Through the Years and Life Seems Tame / Till One Dream Appears and Love is its Name

by IHidMyFaceFromYouNoMore



Category: Eroica Yori Ai o Komete | From Eroica with Love
Genre: (hence the m rating), Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Romantic Tension?, Technically Cuckoldry lol, early in the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22173571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IHidMyFaceFromYouNoMore/pseuds/IHidMyFaceFromYouNoMore
Summary: The Major is forced to work with Eroica - again. This time, it gets uncomfortable when a strapping young spy is brought along for the mission.(This fic has fanart in it !)
Relationships: Dorian Red Gloria/Original Male Character(s), Klaus von dem Eberbach & Dorian Red Gloria
Comments: 9
Kudos: 5





	You Drift Through the Years and Life Seems Tame / Till One Dream Appears and Love is its Name

So, the story goes, as it always somehow does, that NATO was in need of an important artefact of information from a civilian, and in this case, it was a microfilm of great international interest. The subtext of that was that the KGB wanted it as much as the West did. And the task of retrieving the microfilm while avoiding the hands of the commies fell upon the shoulders of Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach, as usual. 

What was unusual was the circumstances under which Iron Klaus was going to work. It turned out that the civilian with the film, some German mafioso who had been flying under NATOs radar up until now, had a connection to a certain master thief. The criminals attracted other criminals of course. And that was the Chief’s belief too, that to catch a baddie, one must employ a baddie. 

Klaus was going to work with Eroica again, for the second time in the few years they had inadvertently known each other. He was, of course, not overjoyed. The Chief evidently found it amusing to watch his subordinate sink to such a low level as to ask a thief to work with NATO — again. The Rome incident was still etched into the Major’s memory despite his best efforts to wipe it all away. So many memories of that mission he wished to forget, and Eroica constituted a great deal of them. He kept telling himself that all he wanted was to never see the man again, and it manifested. But wishes rarely come true. 

The two were now in Kiel, at a rented base for NATO operations that was set up solely for this mission. None of Dorian’s entourage had been allowed to accompany their Earl for fear of compromising the mission. The Alphabets had stepped out of the conference room that the Major and Earl were in so that they could talk strategy on their own. Klaus was checking his watch every minute and not being very discreet about it. 

“So, you’ve brought me all the way here just so that you wouldn’t talk to me?” Dorian stood with his ankles and arms crossed delicately, looking his normal gaudy self. The Earl’s fashion choices continued to baffle the Major at every new turn. Today's item of interest was the snakeskin knee-length boots that swallowed the thief’s legs. Klaus didn’t hide his disdain. 

“I might as well tell you now that we’re awaiting an additional taskforce member. He was supposed to be here a minute and a half ago, the slob is already late.” 

Dorian cocked his head with an air of sarcasm. “Thank you for filling me in on such short notice. Who is this slob?” 

“NATO hires him sometimes for select spy-work. He’s been tailing your dear friend, the mob boss, for the past two weeks. We needed a spy in order to know his patterns before we engage.” Klaus lit a cigarette with the stub of his last cigarette. 

“A spy-man?” Dorian’s eyes lit up. “How thrilling.” 

The Major was about to scold the Earl for his suggestive remark when the door opened, and their guest appeared. Dorian turned to see him, immediately taking in his impressive height — he was even taller than the Major, but of a just as impressive Teutonic build. His dark, oaky curls struck the Earl as something out of Caravaggio’s _Bacchus_. Likewise with his full brown eyes, framed in a radiant, angular face. 

“Sorry for being late — you know how the Autobahn can be sometimes.” He strode over to the two with a confident gait. “We meet at last, Major Eberbach. I'm sure you know enough about me that I don’t need to introduce myself by name to you.” He held out a hand for Klaus to shake, which the Major did reluctantly. 

“How efficient of you.” Klaus retrieved his hand with the usual amount of reservation he held against strangers. 

Dorian decided to chime in. “I don’t believe _I_ got your file, unfortunately. I only just now learned about your existence, Herr...?” 

The spy held out a gloved hand. “Friedrich Schröder. You can call me Fritz, if you like.” 

Dorian took the hand, accepting the man’s game. “I like that, so I will. And I’m Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria. But you may call me Dorian. And if that doesn’t suit you, I know I have an alias that might.” 

Schröder flashed his strong grin. “Dorian sounds good to me.” 

The Earl couldn’t help but smile back. “What a delightful accent you have — where in Germany are you from?” 

“Flensburg. It’s a charming little Northern fishing-town near the border, have you ever been?” 

“Unfortunately, no, I haven’t had a reason to visit. I might have one soon.” 

The Major watched with unease from the sideline. He kept glancing towards their hands. They were still clasped. The two seemed to be caught in a glance with each other and neither knew when to break it off. 

Klaus had to intervene. “As NATO informed you, you’ll be working with the Earl in the retrieval of the microfilm. With the Earl as bait you’ll be — are you even listening?” He snapped. 

Schröder finally redirected his gaze to the Major and removed his hand. “Yes, of course Major. I have fully immersed myself in the report before making my way over here, I know what must be done.” Dorian, however, had not ceased to gaze at the spy. 

Klaus tried to ignore that. “Good. I don’t need to stress the importance of the mission, then.” The Earl decided to look at the Major again at last, showing him that he too was listening as the man prattled on about all that strategy business that he wouldn’t tell Dorian about earlier. 

Once all had been said and plans had been laid, Dorian excused himself to go make a phone call outside. The spy watched him leave, an action that did not go unnoticed by the Major. 

Schröder turned back to Klaus after a moment. “You’ve known the Earl for a while — tell me something about him that I wouldn’t be able to find in the NATO files.” 

The Major frowned. _What an oddly direct question_. “He’s an incessant nuisance on the Organization. Do not get involved with him, he will not leave you alone — and worst-case scenario, he’ll try to steal your personal belongings if he takes a fancy to them, he’s shameless like that.” 

“No, I could gather most of that from your banter with him. I'm looking to know more of his — personality. Like, what music do you know he likes? What's his choice of wine?” 

The Major cut an expression to fit his perplexed and mildly disgusted emotions upon hearing the inquiry. “Why on Earth would you want to get to know him better? It's not required of your role here.” 

“Oh, not for the case. Just out of personal interest.” He smiled in a crooked way that infuriated the Major for some reason. 

Klaus quelled the indignation, though. _I'm still on duty._ “I don’t know what you’re fishing for, but I don’t care to answer.” 

Schröder’s infuriating smile stayed on. “No problem — I was thinking I'd ask him myself, that’d be more direct anyway. And you’re right, Major, there’s no need for me to drag you into an intimate matter.” The spy gathered his files and left promptly. 

The Major pondered what the hell had just happened. All Klaus had was a rotten feeling about it all, which wasn’t unusual for an intelligence agent; it _was_ required to be able to feel a room for suspicious activity. He just had to figure out which part made his radar go off. 

The Major quickly found his target in the courtyard, having a smoke and taking a call at a booth. The Earl had just hung up as he noticed Klaus advancing toward him. “Hullo, Major. Came out for a chat?” 

“Absolutely not. I need to tell you that you may be in danger unless you take the necessary precautions.” 

Dorian stepped out of the booth’s threshold with a confused, but intrigued, look. “What kind of danger?” 

“It’s Schröder. I have reason to believe he might be a mole. He could easily be KGB, considering their interest in the microfilm. And you’re not exactly friends with the KGB.” 

“Yes? And what reason do you have exactly?” 

The Major shouldn’t have hesitated before answering. “He seems — untrustworthy. There's something he’s hiding, and it has to do with you.” 

Dorian refrained from rolling his eyes. “He’s gay, Major, of course he seems as if he’s hiding something all the time. Especially around you, I think he knows about your attitude toward our kind. It has probably helped him become better at being covert, hence why he’s such a skilled spy.” 

Klaus narrowed his eyes in skepticism. “You don’t know for sure he’s gay.” 

“The man wears a ring in his right ear, the message couldn’t be clearer. I’m very disappointed you don’t know about queer codes. Also we exchanged a secret handshake when you weren’t looking.” 

The Major hesitated, doubtful. “Really?” 

“No, of course not, Major.” Dorian sighed. _For a man so sharp, he can be so gullible at times._ “But the earring is enough of an indicator for me, and I otherwise trust my radar.” 

Klaus seemed to brush off his embarrassing mistake. “Look, he said directly to me that he’s been reading up on you and that he’s —” Klaus paused in frustration to rephrase his sentence, “He asked several odd personal questions about you. How is it not obvious to you that he’s plotting something?” 

Dorian smirked when he realized what the Major was saying. “So he’s interested? What did he say?” 

“I don’t want to repeat it. It was slimy. Just know that he’s up to no good.” 

The intrigue piqued Dorian’s senses even more. “You think he’s looking to take me out?” 

“Yes, if that’s his mission — and he might have a concealed weapon ready to take you out with at any time, that’s why I’m warning you now, for fuck’s sake!” Klaus heatedly barked at the Earl. 

Dorian almost broke into a laugh. “No, no, I meant: does he want to go for a drink with me — take me out for a meal, something like that.” 

The Major’s face drained a bit and stiffened. “And you _want_ that to happen? You sicken me to no end! I don’t need to hear any more of this, I'm out. Go get yourself a shovel from the supply closet so you can dig your own grave!” 

Klaus went to turn for the entrance but was arrested by Dorian’s hand that he squirmed away from. “If you’re really that suspicious of Fritz, I could wear a wire. He might reveal his true colors when he’s alone with me. If it helps appease your anxiety, I'll do anything.” 

The Major took one hard look at the Earl again before turning properly and marching to the gates. “Go to the electronics guys, they’ll set it up.” 

If he could, he would have slammed the tall double doors, leaving a flushed and excited Dorian in the quieted courtyard. The Earl thought about how he hadn’t felt so exhilarated by the prospect of a case in a while, and then about what to wear for the next time he’d see Fritz, as he floated back through the corridors to see the fellas down at electronics. 

\- 

In the end, the mission was a resounding success. The film was stolen back thanks to the efforts of Eroica and his terrible taste in friends. The microfilm entered the metaphorical hands of a NATO safe, and a cheque for a ridiculously high salary entered the two real hands of Dorian. The Earl could not be happier and floatier as he shed his disguise and thought about what to do next. He still had that Fritz on his mind, and the past few days had not changed his track, only strengthened it. The more time he spent around the man, the more he longed for his presence. 

Dorian had changed into a flowy summer shirt to match his mood before he took off for Fritz’ temporary office. The spy was typing something up when the Earl entered, asking him if it was a bad time to intrude. Schröder turned and smiled as he got up to be more eye-level with Dorian. 

“I’m just finishing up my report. But I'm starting to think it can wait until the morning. I don’t have to be back in Flensburg until much later tomorrow. There are more important things to do here and now.” 

The Earl almost got lost in his brown eyes until he found his way back. “Since it’s your last evening here, won’t you accompany me for a drink? We can say farewell to this whole mission together.” 

“I’d like that very much. I know a nice ambient place if you didn’t already have somewhere in mind.” 

“Oh, do show me.” Dorian took his coat out in order to slip it on. 

“Hold on, before we leave —” Schröder’s compelling voice stopped Dorian mid-buttoning. “Could I have a picture of you? There's something about this light, it makes you look so — enchanting. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by without at least asking.” 

Dorian thought he might blush. _What an intimate gesture..._ “Go ahead.” 

Schröder turned to pick up a camera he had lying on his desk. Dorian noted the quality. “What a nice lens you’ve got.” 

“It’s Zeiss. All the best tech is German, of course. And it’s only my work-camera, unfortunately — but this one’s for my personal collection.” The spy placed the apparatus in its right position and Dorian looked into the beautiful void of the glass, listening to the snaps of the shutter. He briefly thought about the Major’s words — _but what would the KGB need my glamour shots for?_

Schröder lowered the camera and they looked into each other’s eyes instead. “I can’t wait to get them developed. They’re going to look gorgeous.” The man really had a charming sincerity about him. _Definitely not KGB — no Russian could be this romantic._ “Thank you for posing for me. Although I bet you’re more used to having your portrait painted, not taken.” 

“Oh, no — I'm far more comfortable in front of a lens than you think.” 

“Really? Then maybe you’ll allow me to take some more of you later.” The spy flashed his far-too sweet grin again before he gestured for them to go. Dorian decided to keep close to him for now. 

On their way out, they ran into Klaus in the hallway who looked as if he was about to leave as well. Schröder amiably bid him a good evening and Dorian watched his Major look at the two of them with so much contempt in his green eyes as they sauntered out the doors. Dorian thought he couldn’t feel more elated, but he had just now managed to get a little higher.

The Major watched the red taillights of Fritz’ Benz disappear. He took his jacket off again and walked toward the sound room. _Time to make use of that wire, Eroica._

\- 

Schröder had certainly found an eatery that fit Dorian’s fantasy; authentic, atmospheric, romantic — a lovely place for two perfect strangers to share some cocktails and a light meal. It turned out there were worse ways to spend an evening than listening to a handsome spy recount tales of the trade with a refreshing Campari. Dorian kept the intake light; he knew his own limits. He wanted to be as aware as possible for the rest of the evening, as he could see where things were progressing. The only thing keeping the Earl from letting his hand wander over the spy’s leg was that they were very much in public still. There were ways to remedy that, though. 

Schröder took them home to their hotel. There was a flimsy pretense of Dorian wanting to show Schröder a first edition the Earl had with him, so that they could enter his room together. They ended up forgetting the book and instead talked some more, sitting on the plush bed, relaxed, shoulders and knees touching. 

It seemed that Schröder was the first one after all to get impatient, as the first sign of a lull in the conversation led to him leaning over for a kiss. Dorian obliged, feeling his Caravaggian fantasy come closer; Bacchus had an excellent mouth on him, good for more than drinking. The wonderful thrill ran through Dorian as they both fell into new kisses and he could pull the spy down over himself. 

Schröder was by all means eager, unbuttoning his own shirt with a practiced finesse before moving onto Dorian’s. The spy undid the flowy shirt’s ribbon, revealing the sun kissed skin beneath to his fingers’ delight. His hands found their target. But it was obscured by something that stopped their kiss as the spy pulled away. “Why are you wearing a wire?” He held the device out, having accidentally peeled some of the tape off. 

A little embarrassed at forgetting about the wire in the heat of the moment, Dorian wanted to tell him the truth. ‘ _The Major is hugely paranoid that you’re KGB so he had me wear it.’ Well, the modified truth, but essentially the truth._ Yetthere was still a part of him that didn’t want to spite the man he loved. 

“Oh, goodness, I forgot about that, sorry — we were doing a sound test for another case right before I left to see you and we didn’t have time to remove it. It's not on, of course.” Dorian looked at him closely, hoping to see something that might confirm, or disprove, the Major’s suspicions. 

The spy didn’t seem bothered by it in the least. “No, that’s fine. Good thing it’s not on. I don’t like to stay quiet.” 

Dorian felt the rush of endorphins collide with the chilling knowledge that the Major had heard that. “God, me neither. You can take it off, please. And don’t stop.” 

\- 

Klaus tore his headphones off. They were left clenched in his hands with him staring at them, processing what he had experienced. 

He eventually laid them down calmly on the table. The silence in the room was deafening. He rolled his chair away from the desk and stood up. Why wasn’t he more upset? He should have been enraged. But it just didn’t come to him. 

The Major contemplated the tape-recorder. He pressed the eject button and removed the recording. The cassette hit the bottom of the trash can next to him and he pulled a cigarette out to light up. But when he lit it, he found that it changed nothing about how he felt. 

\- 

Klaus watched a conversation from afar. Schröder was in his car, the Earl was leaning over to talk through his rolled down window. The Major couldn’t make out the words, but he saw the distinct exchanging of business cards; ‘Call me. Come see me again’. 

He watched that Benz drive away once more and the Earl no doubt resisting the urge to wave at Schröder as he went. Klaus stubbed his cigarette under his sole and walked so as to not seem suspicious. 

The Major eventually ‘ran into’ the Earl. Dorian had really not noticed that he had been standing a bit away from him. He seemed to have gotten caught while daydreaming. 

“Oh. Major.” Dorian almost seemed startled upon seeing him. No, he seemed uncomfortable, more like it. Klaus realized the incredibly awkward element between them, and he knew he had to acknowledge it in order to eradicate it. 

“So, he wasn’t KGB. The recordings were useless.” 

“No, he really wasn’t. Or at least not as far as we know. He certainly didn’t want anything from me, except for … Well.” 

“Nope. Alright then. I’ll be going.” And the Major started to walk to the office again, definitively ending this mission. 

“It seems to me, your suspicions of Fritz turned out to be rooted in a more personal matter." 

Klaus made a double take at that sudden declaration. He turned. 

“Spare me your analysis.” 

“Don’t worry, I will. I just feel like I got more out of this mission than I bargained for. It was nice to feel wanted for a change. I’d like you to thank NATO for me, Major.” 

Dorian had expected one of the signature earfuls he so loved from his Major. But something had hit the man, causing him to become unable to do so. The Earl felt unsettled by this, and he wondered why. _Why_ — _what bothers him so?_

Klaus instead turned again and walked away dejectedly but dignified. The triumph turned bitter on Dorian’s lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to have a more closed-off ending. I might see if there's more material for a continuation, but I never know if there is until I start writing again lol
> 
> The title is blatantly stolen from arguably the best written Bond theme song, You Only Live Twice. The lines that follow those two also match the mood of this fic:
> 
> "And love is a stranger who'll beckon you on  
> Don't think of the danger or the stranger is gone  
> This dream is for you, so pay the price  
> Make one dream come true, you only live twice."


End file.
